The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-08-11

SELLS Bios CIRCUS on Saturday last
/ attracted less than the average crowd
from the country. The procession was
l about on a par with former ones with
perhaps a few more elephants and cameis
| thrown In. The calliope sent out occa-
sional blasts of melody and gave wild
suggestions of the circus wonderland
| which still has charms for adult childhood
| The street corners were occupied by the
1 camp followers and tricksters. Marshal
Wieboldt was unusually strict with the
gamblers and many of them were shut
out from plying their vocation. But little
knots of people, here and there, showed
that curiosity and cupidity had secured
an audience for the shrewd thieves who
make fortunes out of other peoples dis
honesty.
The menagerie was fairly good. A
painted horse did service for zebra and
two hppopotani were transformed into
woodworking behemoths." Still the
menagerie was interesting, and instruct
i've as well.
The circus performance was consider
ably above the average. There were a
number of new features, some of which
had merit, and others which had only
their novelty to commend them. The
"wlld west" performance was of the lat
ter character, "Pawnee Bill is an arrant
humbug. But he takes, and the perform
ance in which he led was to tie audience
pleasing variation from the Anticipated
circus performance. But his swagger,
assumed recklessness and exaggerated
frontier style stamp him as purely "got
up affair" The cowboy and the scout
are not much different from other people,
except that they are fearless in times of
danger. While ''Pawnee Bill" acts as if
he was ready on an instant's notice to
fight the world. He however, fills the
popular idea of the cowboy.
The trapeze perforr-anc excels that of
any other circus which exhibited here
Many feats were performed which go
measurably to justify the hyperbolic tone
of the advertisements. The posing as
statues was almost perfect, both in the
attitudes taken and the physical beauty
Of the two performers.
There were not the usual number of
persons seeking to beat the unwary.-
One partially bald headed little specimen
tried his schemes on those whom he
thought he could successfully browbeat.
He had place in one of the side shows.
1t was Interesting to watch him. He was
a cowardly little whelp who would cringe
like whipped "yaller" dog when he en-
countered any person who showed dis
position to kick him for his attempts to
defraud. When he struck timid person
or one who was little green" he was
most insolent puppy, full of buster when
they showed any hesitation to pay him,
and foul mouthed when they edged off
fearfully and he found the victim was
about to escape. He attempted to make
collections when person accepted the
invitation of his ''pard" to test the cleo
trio battery. 1t is very seldom circus
has such mean little adjunct in the
''roping in" department. He was cow
ardly little manikin whose duty it was to
beat young boys and greenies who were
much safer at home than in a circus.
Some of the races were rather interest
ing, particularly with the chariots. The
evening performance was gone through
with hurrledly, and failed to give salts
faction.